The Army West Point Men’s Basketball team suffered its first loss of the 2020-21 season, falling to Florida in a tightly contested bout, 76-69, last night at Mohegan Sun Arena.
“Our guys came with the attitude that we wanted to win this basketball game and I'm proud of the way they competed,” Head Coach Jimmy Allen said. “I can't tell you how much respect I have for Coach White and the Florida program. Having the chance to compete against a program that has had as much success as they have had and be right there with a chance to win the game says a lot about our guys and where our program is right now. Certainly, with the young team that we have, it says a lot about where our program is headed.”
Coming off the team's first 3-0 start in five seasons, the Black Knights jumped out to a quick start in the game, taking a 12-2 lead early in the first half. The Gators fought back into the contest, before the sides traded leads throughout the second half. In total, there were 11 lead changes in the game before Florida was able to close out the game in the final minutes of the contest.
“As we go through the season, our ultimate goal is to put ourselves in a position to win a Patriot League Championship,” Allen said. “There are certainly a lot of positives that we can take from this game that will help us moving forward.”
Three Black Knights reached double-digit points in the contest, with firstie Lonnie Grayson leading the way with 13. He added a team-leading eight rebounds. Plebe Jalen Rucker scored eight of Army's first 12 points, finishing with 12 points and six assists. Read more.
